'Avaaz' urges govt to launch ad campaign

New Delhi: The brutal gang rape of the 23-year-old in Delhi has shook the very roots of humanity. With many people taking to the streets demanding stringent laws for the protection of the women, the question still remains that will strict laws change the psyche of a patriarch society.

Despite the constant demands of safety of women, the crimes against women are on a high. The violent rape and killing of a young woman has come as the last straw in the brutal global war on women.

'Avaaz' has demanded change in the mindset of the people through advertisement campaign.

Avaaz, a 17-million-person global campaign network, has demanded not just stricter laws but also a change in the mindset of the people through advertisement campaign. Avaaz has launched a campaign demanding both stronger laws and a massive public education program to change the dominant male attitudes that permit violence against women.

Ricken Patel, Executive Director of Avaaz, said, "India's runaway rape epidemic is the tip of the iceberg. We need a massive and sustained public education program that slams grotesque male attitudes that permit and promote violence against women. Other countries have used ad campaigns like this to dramatically shift views and behaviour on drunk driving and smoking."

The Avaaz members are not just urging the government to launch a mass advertisement campaign but they are also writing to the Verma Commission for public comment.

The network is of the opinion that the problem is the misogynist culture prevalent in India. And, they demand a radical attack on the prevalent culture where women are subjected to violence and harassment on a day-to-day basis.